Heel-trimming machine



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A. McDOWELL. HEEL TRIMMING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 2!). 1896.)

3 Sheets-Sflwet I.

(No Model.)

No. 6|7,038. Patented Ian. 3, 1899.

A. MCDOWELL. HEEL TRIMMING MACHINE.

(Application flied Nov. 20, 1896. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-8heet 2.

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No. M23038. Patented Ian. 3, 1899.

A. McDOWELL.

HEEL TBIMMING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1896.) (Nu Madam 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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ll'nrrnn STATES PATENT ALEXANDER MCDOIVELL, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-TRIMIVIING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,038, dated January3, 1899.

Application filed November 20, 1896. Serial No. 612,815. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MCDOW- ELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHeel-Trimming Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates particularly to the devices which are employed inheel-trimming machines for supporting and adjusting the guards which areused in connection with the cutters.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction andarrangement of the devices by means of which the said guards aresupported and adjusted.

The invention will be described first with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which I have represented the best embodiments thereof whichI have yet contrived, and the distinguishing characteristics thereofwill be particularly pointed out and distinctly defined in the claims atthe close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in plan of mechanism embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation looking from the lefthand sidein Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation from the right-hand sidein Fig. 2 and partly in vertical section on the dotted line 3 3 in saidfigure; and Fig. at is a view in elevation, looking from the front inFig. 2, of the cutter-shaft, the supports therefor, the heel-rest, whichlast is omitted from the other views for the sake of clearness, and thesupporting means for the top-lift guard, the cutter being omitted, aswell as the counterguard and its supporting arrangements, for the sakeof clearness.

1 is the framing of the machine, and 2 is the cutter-shaft, it rotatingin bearings,which are provided at 3 3. At 4: is a pulley mounted uponthe said shaft for the purpose of actuating the same, and at 5 is acutter secured upon one end of the said shaft. At 51 is a heel-rest ofusual character. At 6 is a toplift guard located adjacent to the saidcutter 5. Sometimes the top-lift guard is fixed or non-rotatable, whilein other cases it is made fast with the cutter and rotated with it. Thislatter arrangement is found objectionable in practice for variousreasons. It has been proposed heretofore to use a rotatable top-liftguard which is mounted loosely on the cuttershaft, so as to turnindependently of the said shaft, at least when the top lift of the heelof a shoe is placed in contact with the said top-lift guard. Thisarrangement has some advantages which cause it to be adopted in someinstances. A disadvantage incident to mounting the toplift guard looselyupon the cutter-shaft, as just noted, is the fact that the eye orcentral opening of the top-lift guard soon wears in consequence of therotation of the cutter-shaft within the same, so that the fit betweenthe said eye and the cutter-shaft is destroyed.

One object of the present invention is to obviate the wear justmentioned. To this end I mount the hub 7 upon the exterior of a sleeveor independent bearing 8, which latter is suitably supported in thedesired position. This independent bearin g holds the rotatable top-liftguard 6 out of contact with the cutter-shaft, so that wear of thetop-lift guard in consequence of the rotation of the cuttershaft incontact with the inner portions or eye of the rotatable top-lift guardis completely obviated.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby tocompensate for variations in the size of the cutter due-to grinding awaythe cutting edges of the blades of the same for the purpose ofsharpening such blades. This grinding is found necessary at intervals.The grinding away of the cutting edges of the blades of the' cutteroccasions a reduction in the diameter of the cutter. Heretofore it hasbeen found necessary to compensate for this reductionin the diameter ofthe cutter by grinding away the top-lift guard to reduce its diameter,so that it shall correspond with the reduced diameter of the cutter. Inorder to obviate the necessity of grinding away or otherwise alteringthe diameter of the top-lift guard, I provide means whereby to adjustthe top-lift guard relatively to the cutter, so that after the cutterhas been sharpened a slight adjustment of the toplift guard will bringits edge into proper working position with relation to the cutter. Thesleeve orindependent bearing Sis formed on or applied to an arm 9, whichis held by a pivotal pin or bolt to the support 11. The said support isapplied to or secured upon any convenient fixed part of the machine. Inthe illustrated embodiment of the invention I have represented the saidsupport as having an opening therethrough to enable it to be passed uponthe projecting end of the bushing or sleeve 12, which furnishes one ofthe bearings for the shaft 2, the said arm being split, as at 13, andprovided with a bolt 14, by means of which its parts may be drawntogether to clamp the support in the desired position upon the sleeve12. This mode of applying the support enables it to be adjusted angularly into any desired position, so that it may be turned eitherdownwardly into a vertical position, as shown, or upward into a verticalposition, if deemed necessary. With the said arm 9 I combine meanswhereby to adjust the same upon the support 11 so as to bring thetop-lift guard 6 into the desired position relatively to the cutter 5,whereby the edge of the said toplift guard may be made to correspond inposition at the working point with the edge or periphery of the cutter.Thus I apply to the arm 9 an adjusting-screw 15, the threaded stem ofwhich enters a threaded aperture in the arm, and either the prolongedtip of the said screw or a pin 16, located in a continuation of therecess 17, in which the stem of the screw is located, acts against afixed projection 18, applied to the support 11. A spring 19, applied tothe arm 9, also acts upon the said projection 18. The said spring 19acts with a tendency to force the arm and sleeve laterally in onedirection, while the said screw or screw 15 and pin 16 serve as a meansof adjusting the arm and sleeve positively in the other direction. Forthe purpose of locking the arm 9 after having been adjusted transverselythrough the aid of the screw 15 I apply to the support 11 a set-screw20, which latter acts against a pin 21, which projects from the arm 9into a slot or opening 22 in the support 11. Since the said set-screw 2Oacts against the pin 21 with a tendency to force the said pin and thearm 9 in one direction, while theadjusting-screw 15 and pin 16 actagainst the stopor projection 18 with a tendency to force the arm in theother direction, it is obvious that when the screw 20 has been turned upsufficiently the arm 9 will be held clamped in the desired position. Inorder to effect conveniently an adjustment of the arm 9 at right anglesto that which is effected by means of the screws 15 and 20, I providethe said arm with an eccentricallydisposed bearing or connection withits support, the said eccentric hearing or connection having capacityfor rotary adjustment. In the drawings I have shown the pivotal pin orbolt as having applied to the threaded end thereof the nut 23, anextension 231 of which enters an opening or hole 2% in the support 11,that is provided for the reception of the said extension 231. The saidextension 231 is bored eccen trically for the reception of the bolt 10.The extension 231 constitutes, in effect, an eccentric or bolt 10, andwhen thebolt and nut are rotated together the arm 9 is ad justed uponthe support 11 at right angles to the adjustment secured by means of thescrews 15 and 20, as stated above. At is a binding-screw to hold the nut23 in the desired position of adjustment. This adj ustment, effected, asdescribed, by means of the eccentric bearing or connection for the arm9, enables the arm and its sleeve, with, of course, the top-lift guard,to be raised or lowered as required in order to bring the edge of thetoplift guard in the proper position with relation to the periphery ofthe cutter at the desired working point.

As will be obvious, the described means ofsupporting and adjusting thetop-lift guard are equally applicable to other known forms of such guardthan that shown and may be adapted for use in connection therewith in anobvious manner not necessary to be explained herein. This portion of theinvention is capable also of being employed in connection with thecounter-guard of a heel-trimming machine. I prefer to support and adjustthe counter-guard 26in the manner which I will proceed to describe. Thearm 91, having applied thereto or formed thereon the in* dependentbearing on which the hub of the counter-guard 26 is mounted, isconnected by a stud 27 to one end of the bar 28, which latter slideslongitudinally in the solid socket 29 upon the block 30 and is providedwith an adjusting-screw 31,havi-ng a milled head, by means of which itmay be given the desired position. By turning the adjustingscrew thesaid bar 28 may be adjusted horizontally with reference to the cutter.The bar 28 is forked or recessed to receive the arm 91, and to theportions of the said bar above and below the said arm are appliedadjusting-screws 32, acting in opposite directions against the said arm.By means of the said screws 32 32 a vertical adjustment of the arm andcounter-guard relativelyto the cutter may be secured. The socket 39 isslotted longitudinally, as at 33, and through the slot passes a screw34:, the threaded end of which enters a threaded hole in the bar28,while the head thereof is adapted to bear upon the upper surface of thesocket 29 or an intermediate washer. By means of the said screw 34 thebar 28 may be locked in any desired position of longitudinal adjustment.To the bar 28 is applied a flat spring 35, one end of which bears uponthe hub of the counter-guard 26. Byits engagement with a flange 36,thatis formed upon the said hub, the said spring 35 prevents thecounter-guard from accidentally changing its position or becomingdetached from the independent bearing that is provided therefor upon thearm 91. This spring 35 is held to the arm 28 by a screw 37, by means ofwhich screw the spring may be caused to bear with more or less forceupon the hub of the counter-guard, or the pressure of the said springupon the said hub may be relieved altogether. The said screw and springprovide means for producing an adjustable drag upon the counter-guard.In other words, I provide thereby a tension-regulatin g device by meansof which to retard the rotation of the counter-guard.

In working upon certain classes of goods, such as heavy rough boots andshoes, it frequently is preferred that the counter-guard should be fixedor stationary. -By means of the device which I have j ust described therotating counter-guard may be prevented from turning or rotating whenworking upon the said classes of goods. In handling more delicate gradesof boots and shoes it is desired that the coun tor-guard should rotatein order to prevent marking, and thereby damaging the goods. In dealingwith thisclass of goods the pressure of the spring upon the hub of thecounter-guard may be reduced or relieved entirely, so as to permit theguard to move as freely as desired.

Heretofore it has been customary to employ a shield, which has beenamxed to the side of the cutterand caused to rotate therewith. Thisshield under certain conditions occasions more or less injury to theboots and shoes which are being trimmed. In accordance with one part ofthe present invention I form at the edge of the counter-guard 26 a lip267, which passes into the space between the counter and the rand of theshoe being operated upon, and thereby constitutes of the counterguard 26both a counter-guard and a shield. The lip 267 serves the function whichthe shield heretofore has served. This part of the invention is of valuefor use in connection chiefly with cutters having lips for the purposeof trimming the rand, and in practice the lipped counter-guard will beso adj usted relatively to the cutter as that the lip of the cuttershall lie within the lip of the counter-guard.

The block 30 is pivoted at 38 upon the block 39, the latter having asleeve-like socket 40 to fit upon the round bar or spindle 41, whichlatter at its outer end is screw-threaded to receive the nut 42, bymeans of which the block 39 is held in place upon the said spindle orbar 41. At 43 is a coiled spring, placed between the block 39 and thecollar 44 upon the spindle or bar 41, which latter is convenientlysecured to the framing 1. At 45 is a bindingscrew applied to the block39, the inner end of which screw bears against the spindle or bar 41 tolock the block 39 in the desired position of adjustment.

To the pivoted block 30 I apply a lockingbar 46, the said locking-bar 46being secured against the edge of the said block 30 by means of a screw47, which last serves as a pivot on which the said locking-bar is freeto move vertically.

48.is a spring secured to the block 30 by a screw 481 and operating uponthe locking bar 46 with a tendency to depress the same.

49 is a hook that is secured to the block 39, it having a sloping end upwhich the lockingbar 46 is adapted to ride as the block is swung fromthe left to the right in the drawings, the said locking-bar beingdepressed by spring 48, behind the shoulder of the said hook 49, as soonas it has reached the proper working position. This locking -bar andhook serve to retain the pivoted block 30 and counter-guard 26, mountedthereon, in the required position for work, but enables the said blockand the counter-guard to be swung to the left in the drawings wheneveritis desired to secure access to the cutter or to remove thevcounter-guard from its support. At 50 is a guiding-screw, which passesthrough a vertical slot 501 in the locking-bar, and at 51 is an adjListing-screw, passing through a threaded hole in the locking-bar andbearing against the edge of the pivoted block 30. By means of theadjusting-screw 51 the free end of the locking-bar 46 may be adjustedfrom the edge of the pivoted block 30 as far as may be required in orderto take up all play of the said pivoted block and hold the opposite edgeof the said block against the stop-plate 52, that is secured to theblock 39.

The locking devices just described and the provisions for adjustmentwhich are combined therewith prevent all looseness and uncertainty inthe position of the block 30 and the counter-guard which is carriedthereby.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a heel-trimming or the like machine, thecombination with the cutter, its shaft, and a guard applied to the saidcutter, of a carrier to which the said guard is applied, and means toadjust the said carrier and guard in a transverse direction withrelation to the cutter, and also vertically at right angles to suchdirection but still transversely with relation to the cutter,substantially as described.

2. In a heel-trimming or the like machine, the combination with thecutter, its shaft, and a rotatable guard applied to the isaid cutter, ofthe pivoted arm on which the said guard is mounted, means to adjust thesaid arm transversely on the pivot thereof with relation to the cutter,and means whereby to adjust the position of the arm and guard lengthwiseof the arm relatively to the cutter, substantially as described.

3. In a heel-trimming or the like machine, the combination with thecutter, its shaft, and a rotatable guard for the said cutter, of theindependent bearing for the said rotatable guard, the support for thesaid independ ent bearing, and devices for adjusting the said supporttransversely with relation to the cutter, substantially as described.

4. In a heel-trimming or the like machine, the combination with thecutter, its shaft,

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and a rotatable guard for the said cutter, of the independent bearingfor the said rotatable guard, the arm on which said bearing is provided,the devices for adj usting said arm transversely with relation to thecutter, and the eccentric bearing or connection for the said arm wherebyto adjust the arm longitudinally, substantially as described.

5. In a heel-trimming or the like machine, the combination with thecutter, its shaft, and a rotatable guard for the said cutter, of theindependent bearing for the said rotatable guard, the arm on which saidbearing is provided, the devices for adjusting said arm transverselywith relation to the cutter, the eccentric bearing or connection for thesaid ,arm whereby to adjust the arm longitudinally, and the rotatable orangularly-adjustable support to which the said arm is connected,substantially as described.

6. The combination with the cutter, its shaft, and a rotatable guard, as26, of an independent bearing on which the said guard is mounted torotate, and'a drag device bearing'on the hub of said guard,substantially as described.

7. The combination with the cutter, its shaft, and a rotatable guard, as26, having a hub with a flange 36, an independent bearing on which thesaid guard is mounted to rotate, and a device to engage with the saidflange for the purpose of holding the guard on the bearing,substantially as described.

8. The combination with the cutter, its shaft, and a rotatable guard, as26, of the independent bearing on which the said guard is mounted torotate, a drag device bearing on the hub of said guard, and means tovary the pressure of the said drag device upon the said hub,substantially as described.

9. The combination with the cutter, its shaft and a counter-guard, as26, of an arm, as 91, on which the said counter-guard is mounted, a bar,as 28, to which the said arm is pivoted, means to adjust said barlongitudinally and opposite-acting screws 32, 32, applied to the bar andacting against the arm to adjust it transversely, substantially asdescribed.

10. The. combination with the cutter, its shaft, and the counter-guard,of the pivoted block 30, means to support the counter-guard on the saidblock, the block 39 on which block 30 is pivoted, the hook 49 applied tothe block 39, the vertically-swinging locking-bar 46 pivoted to the edgeof block 30 and engaging with hook 46, and the spring acting on the saidlocking-bar to depress the same, substantially as described.

11. The combination with the cutter, its shaft, and the counter-guard,of the pivoted block 30, means to support the counter-guard on the saidblock, the block 39 on which' the block 30 is pivoted, the stop 52 andhook 49 on said block 39, the vertically-swinging locking-bar 46 pivotedto the edge of block 30 and engaging with hook 46, the spring 48 actingto depress the said locking-bar,and the screw 50 to adjust thelocking-bar relatively to the block 30, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MCDOXVELL. \Vitnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND.

